The present invention relates to an apricot tree which has been denominated varietally as "Judy's Delight" and more particularly to an apricot tree which produces fruit having an attractive light orange skin color and which ripen for harvesting approximately the same time of the season as the fruit produced by the Katy Apricot Tree (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 4,339) with which it is most closely similar, but from which it is distinguished therefrom and characterized principally as to novelty by producing fruit which are substantially larger in size than that produced by the Katy Apricot Tree and which further exhibits a characteristic skin color which is a lighter shade of orange than that typically displayed by the variety "Katy". In addition, the new variety of Apricot Tree hereof displays noteworthy storage characteristics and has a balanced and pleasant flavor which is uncommon to the variety to which it is most closely similar.
The Katy Apricot Tree (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 4,339) is well known as a producer of early maturing apricots, the fruit of the Katy Apricot Tree characterized by an orange skin color and having a date of maturity for harvesting and shipment during the second and third week of May in the San Joaquin Valley of Central California.
It has long been recognized that it would be desirable to have an apricot tree that somewhat remotely resembles the Katy Apricot Tree (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 4,339) and which further is ripe for commercial harvesting and shipment at approximately the same time of the season but which produces fruit which are substantially larger in size than the fruit produced by the "Katy" Apricot Tree and which further has an attractive light orange skin color and a balanced and pleasant flavor.